Top Dem appropriator working to increase federal money for Drug Free Communities to help prevent youth addiction and for anti-drug trafficking efforts to assist law enforcement

CORTLANDT, NY – Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland), Ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, today announced her co-sponsorship of the Stop Overdose Stat (SOS) Act and vowed to continue fighting in Congress for increased funding for Drug Free Communities grants and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program (HIDTA) to help stem the heroin epidemic afflicting the Lower Hudson Valley.

“Every level of government must increase efforts to address the heroin crisis in our communities and throughout New York,” said Lowey. “Too many people in the Lower Hudson Valley, particularly teenagers and young adults, are struggling with heroin and other opioid addictions. As heroin has become cheaper and widely-abused prescription drugs become more difficult to obtain, heroin use has skyrocketed. That is why I am calling on Congress to bolster efforts to combat this heroin epidemic. I will be working overtime in Congress to ramp up resources for prevention, treatment, and response.”

The SOS Act would establish a federal plan to combat drug overdose deaths and disseminate naloxone, the most frequently used drug to counteract overdoses from heroin and opioid pain medications, to state and local officials and train them on proper use. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has credited overdose prevention programs with saving more than 10,000 lives since 1996.

Lowey is fighting to increase the Drug Free Communities grant program for Fiscal Year 2015. In September, she helped secure $1.3 million in Drug Free Communities grants for ten local organizations to prevent youth substance abuse (full list of organizations and amounts below).  She is also working to secure an increase in funding for the HIDTA program, which provided $400,000 to Westchester law enforcement agencies this year alone to combat the heroin threat, and Lowey will fight for additional funds for Fiscal Year 2015.

Local elected officials and community leaders joined Lowey in highlighting the severity of the problem for the Lower Hudson Valley, and stressed the importance of coordinated efforts at the federal, state, and local level to stem the heroin epidemic.

“I am very pleased that Congresswoman Lowey is here in Cortlandt to call attention to this very serious subject of combating heroin overdoses,” said Cortlandt Town Supervisor Linda Puglisi. “Our community this year tragically lost two young men to drug overdoses and we’ve been collaborating with our school districts and sponsoring panel discussion forums to bring awareness to the families and students of the heroin and prescription drug abuses in society, our region and, tragically, in our community, as well. We thank Congresswoman Lowey for sponsoring this important bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.”

"Between 2011 and 2013 there was a 69% increase in the number of youth entering Westchester treatment programs for heroin and other opiates,” said Ellen Morehouse, Executive Director of Student Assistance Services. “I applaud Congresswoman Lowey's continuing efforts to support community and school based substance abuse prevention activities that raise the awareness of the dangers of these drugs, and reduce their availability. These activities in addition to increased funding for counseling and treatment, and the availability of naloxone are essential ingredients for reducing overdoses."

Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore added “The increasing number of fatal heroin overdoses in Westchester County demands a multi-disciplinary approach to intervene and save the lives of those impacted by drug addiction. By working together, law enforcement, the community and support services can maximize their effectiveness, thereby enhancing their roles in resolving this growing problem.”

The basic right of citizens to live in communities free from fear and violence has been paramount to Lowey throughout her career in Congress. In addition to her commitment to stemming the heroin epidemic in the Lower Hudson Valley, she has been working hard to advance commonsense gun safety initiatives, protect children from predators, eliminate drunk driving, and ensure law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMTs are trained and equipped to keep our community safe.

Local Organizations Who Received Drug Free Communities Grants (September 2013):

• Cortlandt Community Coalition, $125,000
• South Orangetown Community Awareness of Substance Abuse, $125,000
• Mount Kisco Drug and Alcohol Prevention Council, $125,000
• City of White Plains, $125,000
• Ossining Communities That Care, $125,000
• Westchester Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth, $125,000
• Croton Community Coalition, $125,000
• Westchester Coalition for Drug and Alcohol Free Youth and Westchester County Office of Drug Prevention and STOP-DWI each received $75,000 from the DFC Mentoring Program.
• Port Chester Cares Community Coalition was awarded $125,000 for the DFC Support Program grant.

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